Heavenly Light
The story behind the discovery of this Rainbow over the Grotto photograph which appears at the end of A Cave of Candles in Chapter 26.

Christmas Eve at the Grotto
The story behind this lost photograph of the Nativity Scene at the Grotto which surfaced again in a most unusual way. This photograph joins the Heavenly Light photograph at the end of A Cave of Candles in Chapter 26.

Stadium Stories: From the House that Rockne Built
Four stories associated with the first Notre Dame Stadium: A once in a lifetime thrill for two lucky people; a miniature parachute bread drop; and a 1930 picture of the stadium under construction that makes everyone smile.

Rev. Julius Nieuwland Famed Notre Dame Chemist and Botanist
The story behind the handgun and rifle Father Nieuwland used to shoot down leaves from the trees during specimen-collecting trips. Also, the humorous poem and note he wrote on birchbark to Pres. Fr. John W. Cavanaugh on one his field trips.

Why The Fighting Irish?
Rev. Charles Carey’s 1953 essay was written for one of Fr. O’hara’s Religious Bulletins. The sychronicity of how the essay, and the identity of the author, were discovered via serendipity.

Notre Dame’s School Colors and Coat of Arms
Mary’s Queenly colors, Gold and Blue, are also Kingly colors. Father Edward Sorin, founder of Notre Dame and St. Edward’s University, held King Edward, St. Edward the Confessor, as his patron saint. Gold and blue, the royal colors of the king, are the colors held dear by the two educational institutions.

That Unconquerable Spirit
A tribute to my brother's adventuresome life. He enlisted in the Army and was sent to Alaska. When he returned to Indiana he spent twenty years fulfilling his dream to build an Alaskan Homestead in a six acre woods on Sorin land a mile north of Notre Dame. This is his story.
Update 8/3/10: Bill's sons have just fulfilled their dad's final request that his ashes be scattered at Lake Solitude. Their summer adventure is detailed in a postscript added at the end of this story (here).

The Keystone
A replica of the Notre Dame Grotto is built at St. Stanislaus Church in South Bend, Indiana in 1962. The Always Have a Dream story related to its construction inspires, A Cave of Candles: The Story Behind the Notre Dame Grotto.

The next five stories are the Authors Personal Epilogue

Father Sorin and the Holy Man of Tours and an Angel at the Grotto
Fr. Sorin and Henry Lasserre, Bernadette’s official historian, receive help from Monsieur Dupont, the Holy Man of Tours. In Miracles at Lourdes, Henry Lasserre pens a Dear Reader letter reflecting upon the part Our Angel Guardian plays in the various circumstances of our lives.

Rudy’s Never Give up Philosophy
An interesting connection between Rudy and Father John Cavanaugh who is depicted in his movie Rudy. Plus photographs taken at the premiere party in the Hesburgh Library penthouse.

Author’s Own Grotto Story
A visit to the Grotto in 1964 and again in 1980, and the date of a Wedding Anniversary foretell author’s future mission to research the story behind the Notre Dame Grotto.

Note To The Reader

The last five episodes, above, represent highlights from my Grotto research. The serendipity stories I happened upon by chance when I was looking for something else. They became the Author’s Personal Epilogue listed at the end of A Cave of Candles which, in turn, inspired more stories and ultimately led to the creation of The Spirit of Notre Dame: Its History, Legends and Lore.

Nearing the end of my archival adventure, I find myself wondering if the real story I’ve been writing is the history of the Grotto or is it those stories within that story. The wonder of chance encounters and answered prayers, that came when they were least expected, that have kept me on that trail of memories until there were no more clues to follow. It was this sentence in an email response from a reader in New York City, sent some time ago, that first prompted these wonderings: Is your story the history of the Grotto or the magic ... hidden hands ... that show up when something is a real labor of love?

I’ve been pondering that one single sentence throughout the preparation of these last Legends and Lore stories. At first magic didn’t seem the right word to describe those otherworldly experiences I have encountered throughout my research. Then I found this dictionary definition of magic: A mysterious quality of enchantment. Which defined, exactly, the delight and heightened awareness I have experienced whenever help from above has been there when I needed it the most. So too, the definition of a labor of love: any work done with eager willingness, either from fondness for the work itself or from affection for the person for whom it is done which also fits, so well, those loving creative impulses that have a way of setting those wonder-working moments in motion.

My email friend’s name is Joyce, but I think of her as Joy because she has brought joy into my life and Joy is a sign of God’s Presence. She was there when I needed someone just like her. Her joy-filled electronic presence and the warmth and spontaneity of her gift of words has inspirited the completion of these Legends and Lore Web pages.

BE NOT FORGETFUL TO ENTERTAIN STRANGERS, FOR THEREBY SOME HAVE ENTERTAINED ANGELS UNAWARES.
— HEBREWS 13:2

Dorothy V. Corson
Easter Sunday
April 20, 2003

My heartfelt appreciation goes out to all those ANGELS UNAWARE, whose Heaven-sent help and encouragement throughout my odyssey of discovery, have made The Spirit of Notre Dame: Its History, Legends and Lore a reality.